February 5, 2008
Bicycle Friendly Community Status Awarded to NYC
The League of American Bicyclists has awarded New York City a bronze medal for bicycle friendliness. League representatives met with Mayor Bloomberg and DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, who sometimes cycles to work, at City Hall yesterday to present the award. Though bronze is the lowest rung on the friendliness ladder, New York City is the only community in the region to be designated a Bike Friendly Community (BFC).
While the total number of cycling fatalities rose to 23 from 18 last year, there has also been a 75% increase in those who commute by bicycle since 2000. (The DOT is still working on an accounting of the number of cycling injuries.) In awarding the BFC status to New York, the league noted that New York has undertaken “the most thorough crash analysis of any city in the country.”
DOT, in conjunction with the Departments of Health, Parks and the Police Department completed a comprehensive analysis of all cyclist fatalities and serious injuries during the previous ten years. Amongst other conclusions, the analysis showed that cyclists were safest when they were traveling in a bike lane and wearing a helmet.DOT has since undertaken, and is on pace to complete, a three-year effort to double the number of on-street bike lane miles. They have also begun a program to provide free official NYC bike helmets at safety education events. Thus far they have given away over 10,000 free helmets. And New York has recently built North America's first on-street bike lane that is physically separated from vehicle traffic by bollards and a lane of parked cars.
Fun fact: The League of American Bicyclists was founded in 1880 as the League of American Wheelmen; “bicyclists, known then as ‘wheelmen’, were challenged by rutted roads of gravel and dirt and faced antagonism from horsemen, wagon drivers, and pedestrians.” The 300,000 member organization works to promote bike safety and bike-friendly urban planning; their yearly summit takes place in D.C. on March 4th-6th.
Photo of West Side bike path by Seth Holladay.
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NYC really needs bike racks on buses!
They are about $500 per bus, so it isn't some big budget buster.
A total joke. NYC bike friendly (and pedestrian-friendly for that matter?)
My eye.
www.forgotten-ny.com
man I bike every day and it's SCAAARY.
(SCAAARY is not the same as friendly.)
One of the league's criteria for selecting NYC was that the city fostered an atmosphere of respect between drivers and cyclists. I guess that means drivers yelling "I could kill you a-hole," and riders responding "I respect that as a matter of physics. Thanks for the heads-up."
Dave - Nah, it goes more like,"Get out of the f--king bike lane, a--hole!" and the driver blaring his horn like a maniac then rolling down his window and screaming,"F--k you!!!!" It brings a tear to my eye, the high level of respect we have for each other.
I'm keepin' it klean for the kids, you dig?
BTW, I'm going to contend that nyc is pedestrian friendly. I have yet to come across a US city as large and as walkable as Manhattan.
sheesh!!! several weeks ago this was originally set up to be a public award ceremony in the 9th ave bike lane, but it was postponed. i heard that some action criticizing the city's sincerity toward cycling safety was planned. my guess is that the DOT got wind of it from one of the DOT friendly alternative transportation groups out there and then kept it all hush-hush to avoid any kind of a showdown and embarrassment.
just because it's possible to walk anywhere in manhattan doesn't make it a remarkable place for pedestrians. you can walk everywhere cause it is so much more dense than any other US city. but many sidewalks are too small, prolonged scaffolding is king, pedestrian only streets barely exist, the avenues are too often like highways with no protection to pedestrians, etc.
I'll agree that your scenario is more probable jibbly. Cyclists just have more at stake than a dented car panel to worry about, so I was cutting them some slack. And yes, NYC is a pedestrian wonderland in my mind.
"You're supposed to ride that thing on the sidewalk!" That's the best thing anyone has screamed at me while riding.
Fishfryin - I guess my criteria for the "pedestrian friendly" label is much lower.
Hogarty - Sorry for the atrocious grammar...can I have a job? (I keed I keed)
Drivers in New York city need to be individually held accountable for their irresponsible actions and ignorance of bicyclists (ideally, taken by the shoulders and shaken to get it through their heads that they are driving a 2000lb murder weapon) or this city will never come close to truly being bike safe, let alone "friendly." It all starts with drivers' attitudes. And they're bad. REALLY bad.
I think that NYC has a loooong way to go before it is even remotely bike friendly. I have no idea what kind of chemicals the League of American Bicyclists are smoking. I have been run off the road more times than I can count; sometimes it even feels like it's intentional.
While we're on the subject, though, my wife was hit in the face yesterday by a cyclist who ran a red light and slammed into her in a crosswalk. She stood there, face bleeding, and he turned around, said "watch where you're fucking going" and rode off. I'm sorry, but that kind of behavior is indefensible.
I think that NYC has a loooong way to go before it is even remotely bike friendly. I have no idea what kind of chemicals the League of American Bicyclists are smoking. I have been run off the road more times than I can count; sometimes it even feels like it's intentional.
While we're on the subject, though, my wife was hit in the face yesterday by a cyclist who ran a red light and slammed into her in a crosswalk. She stood there, face bleeding, and he turned around, said "watch where you're fucking going" and rode off. I'm sorry, but that kind of behavior is indefensible.
You mean the bicyclists and pedestrians who ignore traffic signs and laws?
Take for example Broadway and Prince.. many a time someone decides it's "okay" to walk right across when cars have right-of-way. And take their time about it, too.
Looking for some insurance money, methinks.
And how about the cyclists who just plow right through red lights, like what happened to #13's wife. See that ALL the time EVERYWHERE.
Yes, the drivers are bad but so is everyone else.
The Edge: Bingo.
Each group has more than its share of self-centered twerps. I'm no fan of the nanny state, but putting an infrastructure in place that makes traffic rely less on individual care and more on safe design makes sense to me.
You know, there's a little town with a terrific, easily copied system in place, if NYC cared enough to try it. It's called amsterdam-click-amsterdam-click-amsterdam-click...(That's me as a broken record.)
Personally, I'd be happy if there were less yellow and gypsy cabs on the street.
Or if the cops actually pulled them over for reckless driving.
But I suppose I'd have a higher chance of hitting the lotto jackpot. Much higher.